Epson UltraChrome HD 140 Megalux Hours

Updates on Epson UltraChrome HD are now available at 140 megalux hours. The pertinent samples in this study can be easily located in the Aardenburg database by filtering the “batch” field with the letter “N.”

ID#’s 311 and 312 are for K3 and HD on Epson Exhibition Watercolor Paper.

ID’s 314 and and 315 are for HD and K3 on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Pearl.

These results can be compared to Canon’s Lucia EX ink set on the same media in ID#’s 313 and 316.

Download the full test reports to observe the distinctly non linear fading curve for the Epson HD ink fading on both media samples as determined by the I* metric’s perceptually linear color and tonal accuracy scores. We will be discussing what this fascinating result means in more detail in the near future.

Epson’s “2x better” claim appears reasonable, although it stems from industry-sponsored preliminary and as yet unpublished research. Based on the Aardenburg light fade testing protocol and Aardenburg’s Conservation Display ratings, we can report a 1.5-1.7x improvement for HD ink on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Pearl and 1.9-2.2x improvement for HD inks on Epson Exhibition Watercolor Paper compared to use of the older K3 ink set.

Notice the skin tone color patches, then imagine a real photograph with large areas of those colors shifting over time due to light exposure. The skin tone color patches B1, B5, and C5 ultimately comprise the “worst 10%” of the color patch fading for both ink sets, but HD staves off color changes approximately 2x longer. If portraiture is an important part of your photography, then the newer Epson Surecolor printer models using UltraChrome HD inks offer a notable lightfastness improvement, especially to critical skin tone colors in your photographs.

Our Inks and media for 2017 project is also ongoing with measurements taken to date up to 50 Mluxhrs but not yet published. Please consider a donation to our Inks and Media for 2017 campaign.